Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Arterial blood pressure in anaesthetized African elephants

1994; Volume: 24; Linguagem: Africâner

2410-8200

J. Hattingh, C.M. Knox, Jacobus P. Raath, D.F. Keet,

Veterinary Equine Medical Research

A number of elephants previously captured in the Kruger National Park developed a pink frothy discharge from the external nares. Some of these elephants subsequently died and histopathological examinations indicated severe lung oedema. In view of the current hypothesis that high blood pressure could be a causative factor, arterial blood pressure was measured in elephants immobilized with etorphine alone (n = 71) and with etorphine / azaperone (n = 109) and carfentanil / azaperone (n = 26) mixtures. Arterial blood pressure was found to be significantly lower in the groups immobilized with azaperone mixtures than in the group immobilized with etorphine alone (p < 0,05). In addition, no cases of lung oedema were observed in animals immobilized with etorphine / azaperone and carfentanil / azaperone mixtures. It is strongly recommended, therefore, that azaperone be added to immobilization mixtures when elephants are subjected to herding prior to darting. 'n Aantal olifante wat voorheen in die Nasionale Krugerwildtuin gevang is, het 'n pienk, skuimerige neusuitskeiding ontwikkel. Sommige van hulle het later gevrek en histopatologiese ondersoek het erge longedeem bevestig. Volgens die hipotese dat hoe bloeddruk hiertoe aanleiding kon gegee het, is arteriele bloeddruk gemeet in olifante wat slegs met etorfien (n = 71) of met die mengsels etorfien / asaperoon (n = 109) en karfentaniel / asaperoon (n = 26) geimmobiliseer is. Arteriele bloeddruk van die groepe van met die asaperoonmengsels geimmobiliseer is, was betekenisvol laer as by die groep wat slegs met etorfien geimmobiliseer is (p < 0,05). Verder is geen longedeem waargeneem by die olifante wat met die mengsels geimmobiliseer is nie. Die toevoeging van asaperoon by die immobilisasiemengsel word dus sterk aanbeveel waar olifante eers aangekeer en dan gepyl word.